Is THIS what the foldable iPhone will look like? Apple’s long-awaited device could feature three cameras, ultra-thin bezels and an AI chip – and insiders say it could arrive in 2025
It’s one of the largest companies in the world, but Apple is one of the few tech companies yet to unveil a foldable device.
That could soon change, though, as Apple is reportedly readying its first foldable iPhone – following in the footsteps of Samsung, Huawei and Motorola.
Now, MailOnline has turned to AI sensation ChatGPT to imagine what the so-called ‘iPhone Flip’ will look like.
According to the chatbot, the high-end device will have a flexible OLED display with ultra-thin bezels and a polished titanium finish.
Like rival Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip, it has a horizontal fold through the center of the main screen and a smaller screen for use when folded.
“This imaginary foldable iPhone represents a balance between innovation and Apple’s iconic design principles,” says ChatGPT.
‘It emphasizes seamless design with high-quality materials and innovative features.’
While this image is just an AI-generated prediction, 2025 could be the year Apple finally unveils the first foldable iPhone.
ChatGPT’s artist’s impression shows a device similar to rival Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released in 2020
For its prediction, ChatGPT analyzed persistent rumors, tech trends and “speculative reports” about the upcoming foldable tablet to create this new artistic impression.
Notably, it shows an iPhone with a horizontal fold that goes from left to right, similar to the rival Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released in 2020.
According to ChatGPT, it has a “large OLED screen that extends across the entire front when opened” with a premium stainless steel frame around the edge.
The chatbot says: ‘The screen is sleek with minimal bezels and a soft crease in the middle when unfolded.
“It has rounded edges and a matte back, perhaps available in graphite, silver or a new deep blue.”
However, the iPhone’s hinge mechanism is much more visible compared to that of the Samsung Galaxy Flip or the Honor Magic V3.
In fact, it looks like there’s a large gap in the middle of the screen, as if the creator just attached two square displays together.
ChatGPT claims that the hinge mechanism is “exposed yet elegant, giving the phone a premium, sophisticated look.”
According to a leak, Apple internal executives are accelerating work on the foldable tablet and have entered a ‘formal development process’
The impression of ChatGPT is similar to that of the competitor Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which was first released in 2020. In the photo the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, released in 2024
“The exterior combines glossy glass and titanium, while retaining Apple’s signature material mix.”
ChatGPT also says the foldable iPhone features a triple camera system with a LiDAR scanner for “better depth perception and AR [augmented reality] experiences’.
LiDAR (light detection and ranging) measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analyzing the light that is reflected back – helping AR apps understand a user’s position and movement in real time.
Like the iPhone 16 family released in the fall, the foldable iPhone will also likely include 5G support, improved battery life, and the new A18 chip, crucial for intensive AI-related tasks.
As for price, ChatGPT predicts the foldable will be Apple’s most expensive phone ever.
Considering the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at £1,199/$1,199, the foldable variant could cost between £1,499/$1,499 and £1,999/$1,999.
Of course, ChatGPT itself admits that it can make mistakes, so it’s worth taking the AI’s prediction with a grain of salt.
Of course, Apple has long been tight-lipped about the status of its rumored foldable product, or when it might hit the market; MailOnline has contacted the company for comment.
It’s the largest company in the world, but Apple is one of the few tech companies that has yet to unveil a foldable device (file photo)
Motorola’s reinvented Razr flip mobile has a 6.2-inch foldable screen, which bends in half to close in the same way as older ‘clamshell’ handsets
But according to a Korean tipster Yeux1122, internal executives at Apple are accelerating work on the device. whose name is yet to be confirmed.
It will reportedly be unveiled in 2025 – possibly at WWDC in June or the annual iPhone event in September – before being released in 2026.
Mark Gurman, a respected Apple tipster from California, has said that the device “could be the best Apple device yet and could change the world.”
Meanwhile, Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the first foldable iPhone will have an 8-inch display – much larger than the 6.86 inches of the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities in Hong Kong, is known for gathering information about Apple’s plans through his contacts within the company’s Asian supply chain.
If he’s right, it’s more likely to be a ‘Fold’ (which folds down vertically like a book) rather than a ‘Flip’ (clamshell style, as suggested by ChatGPT).
Unlike some of its rivals such as Samsung, Huawei and Motorola, Apple has yet to release a foldable phone, although it has been rumored to be in the works for some time.
Apple appears to have registered patents for a foldable phone, similar to a flip phone, with a horizontal hinge through the middle.
Mark Gurman, a respected Apple tipster from California, has said that the device ‘could be the best Apple device yet and could change the game’
In 2019, Apple filed a patent showing off what appears to be a foldable phone. The patent shows a device that folds shut, similar to a flip phone, via a hinge in the middle
In 2022, YouTubers in China created an impressive prototype of what the first foldable iPhone could look like.
Called iPhone V, the prototype folds down a central hinge in the screen and features silver iPhone lettering on the hinge, plus the iconic Apple icon on the back.
It was built by engineers over 200 days using an iPhone X and the folding mechanism of Motorola’s Razr.
However, Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight, previously said there’s “really no need” for Apple to move in the folding direction at this point.
“You can be sure it has had flexible display technology in its labs for the past decade,” he told MailOnline.
“But right now there is no commercial need for Apple to risk entering a niche market when the iPhone is so incredibly successful.”